ChatterBachs… Composing Strategies

With thanks to Mack Collier for the idea, here are my favorite comments from some of my 2011 blog posts (in reverse chronological order). I only have one comment per person and have linked to their Twitter profile. While not editing the comments, I have taken the liberty of condensing them to a single paragraph per person and bolding and highlighting the key phrases or sentences which made them my favorites. Lastly, please note that not all blog posts are represented below.

From My 5 Words for 2012 (December 2011):

Jenise Fryatt:  What an EXCELLENT list of 5 words. I may have to adopt all of them myself! Of course you know my favorite one is improvisation. At a time when so much is changing so fast, skilled improvisation is really the only way to effectively manage it all! You asked for blog suggestions? Here’s one: http://www.eventprov.com . I’m also amazed at how quickly mobile has taken over the planet. We live in a very different world as a result, but I’m not sure most people are aware of this. Thanks for a truly insightful post. See you in 2012!

Shelly Alcorn:  I love these! And the acronym MIICE made me laugh out loud when I read it….. I really hope this strategy is useful for you this year and I love your words….Improvisation is a great term to keep on the top of your mind…. All my best…..

Thanks, Shelly, for your post on this which inspired mine!

From 5 Lessons from Regis (November 2011):

Dave Sabol: This is a really solid round-up of lessons learned from Regis’ pretty phenomenal career. I didn’t have the opportunity to see much of him “live” but a recent illness while I was attending a conference confined me to my hotel room and provided the perfect opportunity to catch one of his final broadcasts! I think what I found most interesting, and perhaps telling, about Regis was how widely respected and admired he was. He genuinely connected with people and left a lasting impression. I can’t help but believe that what you detailed above is part of his magic. He could be zany and outspoken but he could also be very thoughtful and serious, somehow he knew when to be what and shifted gears seamlessly. However, what got him to where he is today was the fact that he knew who he was and wasn’t afraid of it, he embraced it. I think associations, businesses and organizations alike could all benefit from taking a good look at Regis and taking his example to heart. Have a personality and an opinion, share the stage – with your members, volunteers, clients, customers, etc. – and let them shine, have some fun and don’t be afraid to be human! In the end, I believe that those that leave a mark, make an impression or are generally honored and remembered are those who chose to exemplify those ideals but who also make mistakes (and learn from them) and always continue improving! I can’t help but believe that it’s a universal truth that applies whether you are an individual, for-profit, not-for-profit, etc. A really thoughtful – and thought provoking – post. Nicely done.

Chrissy Ward: Okay – Jay, I have never had the pleasure of meeting you, but you are a great ambassador for social media. The sunniness in your voice and your immediate willingness to embrace SoMe neophytes and show them the ropes. You are Regis and are leading by example. Now to your post… Regarding #3: Say What You Think – I look at this as a dearth of leadership, both on the part of the organization and the communicator. Social media provides an incredible and immediate ability to lead movements and constituents. One of the things that annoys me about associations is that they don’t develop their staff expertise in writing content or empowering them to speak/interact through social media. Heck, even RT’ing relevant contact to make their members smarter and more efficient. Aren’t we all advocates for our collective mission? Find it strange and utterly non-strategic. Glorious post. I truly look forward to meeting you!

From 3 Lessons of Unintended Consequences (October 2011):

Linda Chreno: Very interesting commentary – and I totally agree that we sometimes read something totally unrelated to associations that clearly describe an association behavior! To answer your questions, associations often have policies established by the “good old boys” in the “good old days” that are no longer valid in the current environment. Unfortunately, it is sometimes difficult to change these policies or programs because of the “rules” that were established to safeguard the organization. Too often I have seen procedures in the Bylaws where they should not be located (generally). I have also seen association staff – who need to “police” the rules/policies – want to change the rules or policies, but the volunteers do not like to be “told” by the staff what to do — after all it is their association! My solution was to have a task force of members and staff do a periodic review so that input could be obtained from both segments.

Deb Rexon: Great thoughts! As president of a 501c3 (volunteer ems) I have vowed that as we rewrite our bylaws, we will, hopefully, eliminate roadblocks to change, creativity, flexibility, and leadership styles. Tapping our human capital is always a challenge, because sometimes, in the back of our minds is the little voice that says, “What if they do a really good job, and then they TAKE my job/position/post?” We don’t always look at the big picture of growing our organization for success, survival, and longevity.

From InnovationTalks Day: A Reflection (September 2011):

KiKi L’Italien: I wish I’d been at ASAE in person…I would have loved to have seen you. Jay, thanks for writing this post – you made me feel as if I were there. It helps to read your greatest takeaways and to be able to learn from those presentations without having seen them. I love the fact that ASAE is promoting innovation for all organizations and asking us to make a commitment to support it. Barring something unforeseen, I will definitely be there next year!

Lowell Aplebaum: I can not agree with Kiki more – you really did a great job of giving the feeling of actually attending the sessions. I am excited for the release of the recording to see what I missed. I think this widespread week of innovation holds so many ideas that have the potential to change our association realities – sometimes the hardest part is just where to start. I think a poster with the Top 10 innovation thoughts from this week as I jump into 2012 planning may be in order. Thanks for such a great post Jay.

From What Your Event Should Learn from a Japanese Steakhouse (September 2011):

Deirdre Reid:  I’m still thinking about #1. Conferences are a time to refocus and reset, at least for me they are. 9-5′ers already spend so much time in bland offices, board rooms, meeting rooms, and if they’re on the road a lot, they’ve seen their share of long escalators and cavernous exhibition halls. Turning a trade show floor into a spa resort might not be the answer, but I like your idea of immersing attendees in the association culture, assuming you have one you can identify and that’s worth sharing. It might take a lot of creativity to stay within budget and not do something just for the sake of novelty. Something unexpected that takes attendees to a different mindset, that helps them turn off one part of the brain and turn on another. I’d love to hear how any associations already do this.

Amy Trapp:  Nice post! Change can be a struggle for many associations (at least that’s their perception). Just this week I was having a conversation with a customer about ways to get their attendees and members involved in their annual planning process and how that can often have so many benefits. The associations who I’ve worked with, that include their membership as a part of the planning committee, have more often than not found some creative and interesting ways to enhance their program offering, more readily embrace newer technology options and appeal to their audience, as a whole. Bringing the right experience to any event is so important and having the members and attendees assist in that process can really be invaluable. Now I need to make plans to visit a Japanese Steakhouse, because that sounds like a lot of fun!

From Social Media and Missed Opportunities (April 2011):

Sheila Scarborough: Unfortunately, I’m more surprised when a brand actually responds than I am when I’m ignored. Too many don’t know how to listen, or they don’t understand that, hey, you’re supposed to SAY SOMETHING BACK.

From The Ultimate Events and Social Media Checklist: 17 Important Questions (March 2011):

Nathan Smoyer: Great, great list! I would like to point out how you addressed follow up to an event. The follow is so important for an event for several reasons. The sponsors need to know it was worth their while and (if this is an annual event) you want those who didn’t make it to hear that the event was a success so they will want to come next year. Thanks for posting! follow @boxochatter

From What do Greg Jennings and Kahlua cheesecake have to do with good Customer Service and Social Media? (January 2011):

Brenda Stoltz: Good post. Companies need to listen not just for negative comments, but also for positive. In fact, while not suggesting the negative should be ignored, I do believe responding to the positive has a greater long-term impact in building brand loyalty. The person who had a negative experience may be pleased and give the brand another opportunity, but maybe not. However, additional reinforcement of the positive experience through engagement, I think would go far in furthering brand loyalty and winning repeat business. Go Packers!

Reading back over these seems like a “Who’s Who” of so many I interact with regularly on Twitter. Some comments made me smile again, and they also remind me of how much I’ve learned from you through your comments, your blog posts, and at events and conferences. Going through this process has also motivated me to comment more on blogs. Thanks for your readership and support!